Paper weight and article holder



1960 E. F. MCDONALD ETAL 2,956,544

PAPER WEIGHT AND ARTICLE HOLDER Filed'April l. 1957 lNvEN-roRs {FD/V460 F Menu 410 J27 f 1/ l fme/r ATTORNEY United States atent PAPER WEIGHT AND ARTICLE HOLDER Edward F. McDonald, Bulfalo, and James V. Vevirit,

Kenmore, N.Y., assignors to McDonald Products Corporatiou, Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 649,989

Claims. (Cl. 120-1) This invention relates to improvements in paper weights, particularly paper weights adapted to hold various types of articles.

The invention provides a paper weight having a shape retaining marginal or rim portion and a pair of substantially duplicate members assembled in reversed relation to each other. The members are in spaced relation within the area defined by the marginal portion and form a compartment for containing suitable means of a heavy nature to provide the desired weight for the assembled structure. The members may be formed, or may carry suitable surface covering material on the outer faces, to provide friction surfaces for aiding in holding the paper weight in position on any articles which it may be used to hold in position.

The invention provides a paper weight with a substantially wafer-like shape having a substantially rigid shape retaining marginal portion carrying spaced sheet material members with the intermediate portions spaced apart to form a compartment. The compartment formed by the members is bounded by the rim and contains suitable weights, such as discs, balls or other elements, to provide the desired Weight for the assembled unit. The wafer-like shape provides a substantially thin fiat structure of sumcient size for convenient manual handling in placing, removing or shifting the assembled structure. This shape also aids the paper weight in maintaining its position on a stack of papers on a desk, table, or the like, without likelihood of being knocked olf because of its low height and wide dimension horizontally.

The paper Weight may be made, according to the invention, from a pair of sheet material members having intermediate portions offset with relation to the marginal portion. The members are assembled in reversed relation to space the intermediate portions apart to form a compartment While the marginal portions are engaged in superimposed relation. A shape retaining marginal portion is provided to retain the members in assembled relation and retain the paper weight in the desired shape. The intermediate portions of the members may be made of suitable flexible material having a friction surface so the paper Weight may conform to the shape of the surface on which it is placed and be retained more effectively in position.

The invention further provides a paper weight having a pair of flexible sheet members retained in assembled relation about the marginal portions by a sheet metal frame. The intermediate portions of the members are separated to form a compartment retaining suitable weight imparting elements, with the frame retaining the shape of the paper weight in a substantially wide flat wafer-like form. A suitable spreader or sheet metal plate may be used between the flexible sheet members with the marginal portion received by the frame for firmly retaining the shape of the assembled structure in cooperation with the frame.

According to the invention, the paper weight formed by the flexible members and frame provides a convenient "ice base support, or holder for a pen, or a suitable decorative ornament, emblem or similar device. The paper Weight forms an ideal base for carrying a fountain pen or ball point pen Where the pen holder provides a convenient means for picking up the paper weight when shifting its position.

In the drawings:

Fig. l, is a plan view of a paper weight and pen holder in combination constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2-, is a vertical cross section taken on line 22 of Pig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the parts used to form the paper weight in separated relation and in perspective.

The drawings indicate one form of construction embodying the invention. A pair of annular sheet material members 5 and 6 are made of thin flexible material, such as leather, fabric, suitable synthetic fabrics, or plastic material. Members 5 and 6 are of circular form as illustrated, but may be of any other desired shape and size according to the character and place of use. Members 5 and 6 are formed with the intermediate portions within marginal portions 7 and 8 respectively, offset to one side of the plane of the marginal portions, as shown in Fig. 2. Members 5 and 6 are assembled with marginal portions 7 and 3 in superimposed coincident relation and with the intermediate portions offset in opposite directions by reversing the members relative to each other. Members 5 and 6 are of duplicate formation. Memeber 5 forms the top portion of the paper weight, as shown, While member 6 forms the bottom portion.

A sheet metal plate 9 is formed with the intermediate portion offset relative to the marginal portion in the same manner as member 5. Member 5 and plate 9 will have surface contact with one another with the marginal portions in coincident superimposed relation when assembled as shown in Fig. 2. Member 5 may be glued or cemented to the surface of plate 9 if desired. The marginal portions of plate 9 and members 5 and 6 may be cemented or glued together when assembled. Members 5 and 6, with or without using plate 9, provide a compartment Ill between the intermediate portions, as shown in Fig. 2, for receiving shot, metal discs or other suitable heavy material to add substantial weight to the assembled structure.

A binding member 11, preferably of substantially rigid sheet material, such as sheet metal, extends around the edges of members 5 and 6 and plate 9 and engage; the opposite faces of the marginal portions 7 and 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.. This binding member may be in the form of a strip of sheet metal having opposite edge or marginal portions 12, extending longitudinally of the strip and connected by a plurality of spaced parallel transverse strip portions 13 comieeting marginal portions 12. Strip portions 13 are formed into U-shap'e, as shown in Fig. 2, to position marginal portions 12 in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of marginal portions 7 and 8 of members 5 and 6. Binding member 11 has strip portions 12 compressed against marginal portions 7 and 8 with formation of the strip to tightly retain members 5 and 6 and plate 9' in assembled relation to form a paper weight.

Plate 9 cooperates with binding member 11 to hold the paper weight in shape when it is accidentally dropped by distributing stresses applied to the assembly between one another. When flexible materials, such as leather are used for members 5 and 6, the surface of the paper weight Will have a substantial amount of friction when engaged on top of paper sheets and files for holding them in position without sliding olf. The surface of top member 5 may be embossed and printed with lettering and designs for ornamenting the surface and indicating the purpose or use for the paper weight, or such other information, as

may be desired. Plate 9 may be embossed with member 5. This operation will be completed before assembly of the parts into the final form shown in the drawing. The flat wafer-like shape of the paper weight, as shown in the drawings, with friction surface, particularly adapts the construction to holding papers in position on a desk, table or the like. The holding ability is further improved by the flexible nature of member 6 which with the weight material will vary in shape to an extent sufficient to flt and contact a substantial area of the paper or articles being held, with less likelihood of slipping off in comparison with many forms of paper weights now in use. The low height of the paper Weight as shown, also reduces the likelihood of the paper weight being pushed or knocked out of its desired position accidentally.

The invention also comprehends the additional feature of having the paper weight, assembled as above described, form a base or support for a fountain pen, ball point pen, sign, ornament or the like. For this purpose, member and plate 9 are formed with registering openings 14. Discs 15 and 16 are engaged on the top outer and bottom inner sides of member 5 and plate 9, as shown in Fig. 2 with central apertures registering with openings 14. A holding member or article support 17 is mounted on disc 15. A screw 18, Fig. 2, has its shank extended through the aligned openings in plate 9, member 5 and discs 15 and 16, from the bottom with the head engaging disc 16 and the end of the shank screw threaded in support 17. When screw 18 is tightly engaged in support 17, discs 15 and 16 are firmly secured to member 5 and plate 9 to firmly hold article support 17 in position on the top central portion of the paper weight.

Article support 17 may carry a pen holder or cap 19 for detachably holding a ball point or fountain pen 20. Cap or pen holder 19 may be hinged or swiveled to support 17 in any desired manner. By using the support with the paper weight to hold a pen, the assembled structure can be used to hold both papers and a pen in a most convenient and accessible manner on top of a desk or table. Support 17 may also be used to provide an ornament, or support a sign or other desired object in a convenient manner. Support 17 may be formed to provide or be used with holder or cap 19 as a handle for manually picking up the paper weight and moving it from one position to another.

The construction described and illustrated can be made at substantially low cost so as to provide an economical construction having a multiplicity of uses, as described.

The invention claimed is:

1. A paper Weight comprising, a pair of normally freely flexible sheet material members having marginal portions arranged in superposed relation and oppositely 0&- set intermediate portions forming a compartment therebetween, a rigid sheet material plate positioned between said members and having a marginal portion engaged between the marginal portions of said members in substantially coincident relation thereto, said plate having an offset intermediate portion substantially conforming to the intermediate portion of the upper one of said flexible sheet material members and bearing thereagainst to comprise a rigid backing therefor, multiple weight means of discrete pellet-like form in said compartment, and an elongate binding member encircling said members and embracing said marginal portions thereof for sandwiching and clamping said members firmly against said plate, said binding member being of rigid sheet material and being provided with longitudinally spaced weakened portions permitting the binding member to be flexed around said plate, said plate cooperating with said binding to retain the desired overall shape of said paper weight while the freely flexible nature of said other member and the discrete pellet form of said weight means enable the surface of said paper weight provided by said other member to vary in shape and thereby fit and contact a substantial area of an article to be held down by said paper weight.

2. An article of the character claimed in claim 1 wherein said sheet material binding is formed of a U-shaped strip having opposite marginal portions engaging the marginal portions of said members on opposite sides of said plate in opposed relation, the central portion of said binding extending around and enclosing the edges of said members and said plate.

3. An article of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet material binding is formed of a pair of spaced parallel strip portions engaging opposite sides of said marginal portions of said members on opposite sides of said plate and spaced-apart U-shaped strip portions connecting said parallel strip portions at a plurality of positions therealong and extending around the edges of said members for cooperation in retaining said members in rigid assembled relation.

4. A combination paper weight, comprising a pair of flexible sheet material members of substantially duplicate size and shape mounted in opposed relation with marginal portions arranged in superimposed relation and intermediate portions spaced apart to form a compartment, a sheet metal plate mounted between said members and having a marginal portion engaged between the marginal portions of said members, in substantially coincident relation, weight means in said compartment, and a sheet metal binding embracing th emarginal portions of said sheet material members and sheet metal plate for retaining said members rigidly attached to said plate, wherein one of said flexible sheet material members and said sheet metal plate are engaged in superimposed relation and are formed with an aperture in the central portion, an article support mounted on the outer side of said one of said sheet material members, and securing means engaging said sheet metal plate and extending through said aperture, said securing means engaging said article support and securing said article support in attached relation to said member and plate.

5. A combination paper weight, comprising a pair of flexible sheet material members of substantially duplicate size and shape mounted in opposed relation with marginal portions arranged in superimposed relation and intermediate portions spaced apart to form a compartment, a sheet metal plate mounted between said members and having a marginal portion engaged between the marginal portions of said members, in substantially coincident relation, weight means in said compartment, and a sheet metal binding embracing the marginal portions of said sheet material members and sheet metal plate for retaining said members rigidly attached to said plate, wherein said plate and one member have surface engagement with one another and registering central apertures, a pair of discs engaged on opposite central portions of said plate and member and having apertures in registry with the registering apertures in said member and plate, an article support having a portion engaged with the disc on the outer side of said member and plate, and securing means extending through said registering apertures and having means on the inner end engaging the inner face of the inner disc and means attached to said article support for rigidly retaining said article support and discs in assembled relation on said member and plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,225 Claussen Mar. 22, 1881 560,502 Holloway et al May 19, 1896 735,832 Sirrine Aug. 11, 1903 1,543,264 Morgan June 23, 1925 2,282,444 Winters May 12, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,630 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1887 21,490 Great Britain May 21, 1914 

